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A. G. HUMPHREYS. V

TORCH AND LAMP OPENER.

No. 288,439. Patented N V. 13, 1883.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets -Sheet' 2.

A. U. HUMPHREYS. TORGH AND LAMP OPENER. No. 288,439. M r Patented Nov.13,1883,

III II I 1111" I III 11 IIIIIII Unrrnn STATES A PATENT Orricn.

ALEXANDER O. HUMPHREYS, OF BAYONNE, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE PINTSCHLIGHTING COMPANY, OF NEvV JERSEY.

. TORCH AND.LAMP OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,439, dated November13, 1883. Application filed August 18, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER O. HUM- PHREYS, a resident of Bayonnecity, inthe county of Hudson and State of New Jersey,

have invented an Improved Torch and Lamp Opener, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side view of myimproved combined torch and lamp opener, showing it applied to a lamp.Fig. 2 is a face view of the same; Fig. 3, a top view of the same; Fig.4, a vertical central section of the same;

2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged face view of the upper portion of theinstrument;

The object of this invention is to provide for the lanterns that areknown as Pintsch Lanterns, and for others of analogous construction, atool by which such lanterns can be easily lighted. to are, for example,such as are shown in Letters Patent No. 268,373, of November 28,1882. Inorder to open such a lamp, it is necessary first to let down the glassbowl, then to open the gas-cock, and then to apply the flame to theburner. For the purpose of most conveniently performing these operationsmy improved instrument has been devised.

lamp, and held there when the lamp is oper-.

ative by a spring-catch, D. This spring-catch is in Fig. 1 shown pushedoff the rim B, the latter being already partly moved away from the body0.

E in Fig. 1 is the gas-pipe leading to the burner in the lamp. F is thecock by which said pipe is opened and closed.

The instrument which I have invented is,

Fig. 5, a vertical section on the line 0 c, Fig.

The lanterns of the kind referred The invention consists, principally,in con-.

a receptacle for the wick, or it may contain alcohol or other fluid, asmay be desired.

From the upper part of the chamber H, preferably in straight line withthe handle G, extends upward a stem, a, which at its upper end carriesthe forked instrument L. This forked instrument is composed of threeprongs,

b, d, and e. The prongs b c by themselves form a U-shaped claw, asclearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and are the outer prongs of the forkedinstrument L. The central prong, (Z, is shorter than the others, and isturned or bent aside, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, having arounded upper face. The prong e is provided with a cylindrical cavity,f, at its upper end, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and has aninwardly-projecting vertical spur, 9, that enters into said cavity, sothat it will be a wrench for opening the cylindrical cock, F, the spur 9being adapted to fit the groove or channel h in said cook, or if thecock should have a projecting spur the cavity of the prong 6 would beprovided with a corresponding groove. The upper end of this cavity isflaredthat is to say, the continuous edge is beveled in 8 5 the mannershown inlFig. 5-so that the keye can be applied to the cylindrical cockF to an extent to grasp said cock before the spur g finds its positionin the groove h. In other words,

I have found that hollow keys, otherwise 0 adapted to fit such cocks,are inconvenient to use, because they cannot be applied to the cock andturned on it before the spur finds the groove, but must be aligned withprecision before application, in order to permit of 5 the properengagement of the parts, and I find that by flaring the opening in thekey 6, but keeping the spur 9 below this flaring portion, I am enabledto connect the key to the cock sufficiently to allow the key to beturned on the cook until the engagement referred to takes place.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood how theinstrument is used to open and close the cock F. It remains to state howit is used to open the lamp. Fig. 1 shows best how this done, namely:the instrument is placed with the bent prong d turned toward the glassbowl A, against the side of the lamp-body C, so as to straddle thespringcatch Dthat is to say, so that the springeateh will be between thetwo prongs I) and 0. At the same time the end of the bent prong (I willbe under the rim B and between the catch D and the-bowl A. Theattendant, holding the instrument in that position, now swings it in thedirection of the arrow,which is shown in Fig. 1, with the point ofcontact 1' between the prongs b c and the body 0 as fulcrum, therebycrowding the toe d against the springcatch D, and pushing the latter 01fthe rim B.

Nevertheless the toe d is not withdrawn from under the rim B, and theattendant, as soon as he finds that the catch D has been disengaged,lowers his instrument, which now sustains the hinged bowl A by its rim,and lets said bowl gently down, whereas,without having the meansdescribed for sustaining the bowl, the latter would be liable to dropviolently on its hinge and break or injure the same. The torch I J cannow be applied to the burner, and then the bowl pushed back to itsproper place.

I claim- 1. The lamp-opening tool L, composed of parallel prongs b e andintermediate prong, d, the prong (I being bent aside and shorter thanthe other prongs, substantially as described.

2. The cock-opening key e, made with the internal vertical spur, g,cylindrical cavity f, and beveled continuous upper edge above the spur9, all arranged to fita cylindrical cock, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in the tool L, of the parallel prongs b e and thecentral bent prong, cl, with each other, the prong 6 being hollow andprovided with the spur g, to also constitute a cock-opener,substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the handle G, chamber H, wicktube J, and stem atwith the three-pronged tool L, which has its central prong bent out andarranged for operation substantially as herein shown and described.

ALEXANDER O. HUMPHREYS.

Witnesses:

XVILLY G. E. SCHULTZ, HARRY M. TURK.

